Wirebound box blank machine



July 23, 1935. G. P. IGLEHEART WIREBOUND BOX BLANK MACHINE Filed April10, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

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91623736 l l ile map/$19M y 1935- e. P. 'IGLEHEART 2,008,828

WIREBOUND BOX BLANK MACHINE Filed April 1;O, 1933 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

July 23, 1935.

G. P. IGLEHEART WIREBOUND BOX BLANK MACHINE Filed April 10, 1935 aSheets-Sheet 4 July 23, 1935. s. P. IGLEHEART WIREBOUND BOX BLANKMACHINE Filed April 10, 1933- 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 'INVENTIOR. ye fl'lefigar 23L ATTORNEYS.

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y 23, 1935; P. IGLEHEART 2,008,828

WIREBOUND BOX BLANK MACHINE Filed April 10, 1933 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 F-IESFla-l2 A TTORNEYS.

July 23, 1935. e. P. IGLEHEART WIREBOUND BOX BLANK MACHINE Filed April10, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR 76 fyle%earf ATTORNEYS. 4

Patented July 23,- 1935 UNITED -STATES WIREBOUND BOX BLANK MACHINEGeorge P. Igleheart, Boonton, N. 1., assignor to Stapling Machines 00.,a corporation of Delaware AppllcationApril 10, 1933, Serial No. 665,2939 Claims. (01. 1- -8.3)

This invention relates to machines and methods for making wireboundboxes and crates and particularly to wirebound box blank machines whichstaple binding wire to box sections for connecting the sections infoldable relationship.

It is an object of the invention to provide a machine and method formaking a box blank which will fold into the form of a container adaptedto nest with another container of the same size and shape.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a machine forconnecting adjacent box sections with binding wire and having provisionfor relatively shifting adjacent sections or parts thereo during thewire applying operation. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide a machine in whichbox sections are fed to stapling mechanism by parallel conveyors and inwhich one of the conveyors is rendered ineffective at certain times tochange the spaced relationship between adjacent sections of the work.

One illustrative machine and method is disclosed in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wirebound box blank machine embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the upper part of Fig. 3 and showing boxblank materials being operated upon by the stapling mechanism.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the tension rollers over whichthe binding wire passes in its travel to the stapling mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-section of one of the work conveyor chainsand associated parts, said view being taken on the line 1-'| of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged cross-section of the other conveyor chain and itsassociated parts, said view being taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the same conveyor chain shown in Fig. 8,but taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged top plan view of the two conveyor chains andassociated parts and showing materials for a crate blank positioned onthe conveyors for presentation to the stapling mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a section taken on the line ll-ll of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view of the conveyor chains and showing how awired section is drawn into foldable relationship with the nextfollowing section after it passes the stapling plane.

Fig. 13 is a top plan view of a completed wirebound crate blank producedon the machine.

Fig. 14 is a section taken on the line l4|4 of Fig. 13. a

Fig. 15 is a vertical cross-section of a container formed by folding theblank of Fig. 13 into container form; said view being taken on the linel5-l5 of Fig. 16.

Fig. 16 is an isometric perspective of a complete container.

As conducive to a better understanding of this invention it may be notedat this point that it has been the practice heretofore in themanufacture of wirebound foldable box blanks to position the cleats andside sheets of the several sections in foldable relationship on parallelconveyor chains which convey the sections so positioned beneath staplingmechanism which staples binding wires to the foldably related sectionsto produce a box blank which will fold into box form and which whenfolded, will tension the binding wires over the box corners. Because thebox sections are positioned and fed to the staplers on parallelconveyors, only sections of .rectangular form could be handled by suchmachines, and the blanks produced on such machines when folded formedboxes of equal inside dimensions at the top and bottom. As a result,such machines could not be used to makawirebound foldable box blankswhich would fold into the form of a nesting container.

Applicant's invention is intended to provide a machine and method whichpermits the assembling and feeding on parallel conveyors of box blanksections which are narrower at one end than at the other to produce afoldable wirebound blank which will fold into the form of a nestingcontainer with the wires properly tensioned at the corners of thecontainer.

In Fig. 13 is shown a wirebound foldable box blank which will fold intothe form of nesting container shown in Fig. 16. The blank of Fig. 13,which is the product of the machine and method of this inventioncomprises four separate sections designated generally by the referencecharacters A, B, C and D. Each section consists of a sheet or sheets ofside material I, narrower at one end than at the other, an inner cleat 2at the narrow end of the section, and an outer cleat 3 at the broad endof the section, the section as a whole being narrower at one end than atthe other, as shown. The several sections of the blank are connectedtogether in foldable relationship by binding wires stapled thereto. Whenthe blank is folded, the resulting structure will have the form shown inFig. 16 and each wire will be tensioned over the box corners. As shownin Fig. 16, the sides of the container taper outwardly from the bottomto the top of the container, thus making it possible to nest containersof the same size and shape.

In Fig. l is shown abox blank machine embodying the invention. Thestapling mechanism and the mechanism for moving the conveyor chainsthereto are well known in the art and need not be described in detailherein. A detailed description of such mechanisms is given, for example,in patent to Thompson No. 1,738,806, dated December 10, 1929, referenceto which is hereby made. It is suflicient to point out here that the boxsections are assembled on parallel guides or conveyor chains and areconveyed beneath stapling mechanism which operates to form staples fromstaple stock wire fed theretoand ive the staples over binding-wire intothe box se tions. As the wired blanks leave the stapling mechanism, thewires between blanks are severed by automatic cutters, and the completedblanks are removed' from the machine.

As shown in Fig. 1, the binding wire 5 is carried by a reel 6, passesover a roller I and then over tension rollers 8 and 9 (see Fig. 5),thence over tension. rollers I II and II carried by the stapler body(see Fig. 4) and is carried along with the work by reasonof itsattachment thereto by the staples. Thus the binding wires 5, of whichthere may be several, are .laidupon and across the box sections as thesections are fed beneath the stapling mechanism, the wires being pulledfrom their reels and over the tension rollers by reason of theirattachment to that part of the section which has passed beyond thestapling plane.

To produce a box blank which will fold into box form and properlytension each wire over the box corner in the folding operation, eachsection must be properly spaced from the preceding section when thefirst staple is driven over the binding wire into the section.

As shown in Fig. 10, the several sections of the blank are positioned onparallel conveyors I2 and I3 with the broad end of the sections,.including the outer cleats, in foldable relationship and with the narrowends of the sections, including the inner cleats, in widely spacedrelationship, leaving a fan-shaped gap G between sections. v

As shown in Fig. 8. the inner cleats 2 rest upo a stationary support I4having an outer flange I5 to prevent lateral movement of the cleat inone direction.- The side sheet I rests upon the inner cleat 2 and abutsagainst the outer flange I5 of the support I4. The conveyor I2 travelsinand is supported by a channed I6. The side sheet I and the cleat 2 arepositioned and pushed by blocks I! carried by the conveyor I2 and whichextend over above the cleat support I 4 a sufiicient distance to engagethe rear end of the cleat. The forward edge of each section ispositioned by a. block I'I (see Fig. When slatted side material for abox section is employed, as shown, additional spacer blocks I8 (see Fig.10) are interposed between the slats and are secured to the conveyorchain I2 to properly space one slat from the other on the conveyor chainI2.

Referring now to Fig. 7, the conveyor chain I3 travels in a channelguide I9 and carried lugs or spacer blocks 20 which space and propel theside sheets I and outer cleats 3. Intermediate sheet spacers 20 areprovided for'slatted side material. Sheets I at that side of the machinerest upon a stationary support 2I lying inside the conveyor chain I3.Sheets I and outer cleats 3 are held against lateral movement in onedircction by a flange 22 of conveyor chain I3, and

cleat 3 is held against lateral movement in the other direction by anarm 23 carried by a bracket 24 secured to the side of channel supportI9. Secured to bracket 24 is a presser bar 25 to hold the outer cleat 3down upon the sheet I.

Referring to Fig. 8 or 9, the support I4 for the inner cleats 2 and theflange, I5 of the support I4 terminate just beyond the stapling plane,the position of which is indicated by the arrow in Fig. 11, thuspermitting the wired sections of the blank to be swung at an angle tothe course of travel of the conveyor chains after they have passed thestapling plane.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 11, it will be noted that conveyor chain I2and its supporting channel I6 incline downwardly from a point a shortdistance in front of the stapling mechanism. This downward inclinev ofthe conveyor chain I2 is such that the blocks'aII and II! which positionthe sheets and cleats at the narrow end of the section are lowered out'of contact with the sheets and cleats just after the last staple hasbeen driven into that end of the section, thus permitting the chain I2and the blocks I1 and I8 to continue their forward movement withoutadvancing that end of the section. The block IT is higher than theblocks I1 and I8 so that it will remain longer in contact with thesection for a purpose hereinafter explained.

As shown in Fig. 1, however, the conveyor chain I3 at the other side ofthe machine is not inclined downwardly during its passage beneath thestapling mechanism, and as a result the blocks 20 and 29 on the conveyorI3 continue to feed the broad end of the section after the blocks I!have been released from engagement with the narrow end of the section.

When the blocks I! have been released from engagement with the sheets Iand cleats 2, further movement of the narrow end of. the section isprevented by the back pull of the binding wire which has been stapled tothe section; The back pull of the wire is regulated by tension rollers 8and 9 (see Fig. 5) to provide the requisite amount of back pull and toprevent further movement of that end of the section.

With one end of the section held by the back pull of the binding wire,and the other end of the section continuing to move, the section pivotsin the manner shown in Fig. 12 until the end of the inner cleat 2 iscontacted by spacer block I 1* thus-closing the V-shaped gap G (exceptfor the space provided by the block Il and bringing the oncoming sectioninto foldable relationship with the preceding section. When the gap isthus .closed by the oncoming section, all parts of the two sections arethen in foldable relationship and the first staple driven into thenarrow end of the oncoming section perpetuates that relationship byconnecting the two sections with the wire. The lock I I which is ofgreater height than the block .I'I, maintains the proper foldablerelationship between the sections until that relationship is perpetuatedby the driving of one or more staples into the oncoming section.

As shown in Fig. 12, when the wired sections are swung at an angle tothe line of travel of the conveyor chains and are pushed forward by theblocks ll -and 20, they pass onto atable support 26. 2

Referring to Fig. 11, it will be noted that a block H of greater heightthan the blocks l1 and 11 is located at the rear edge of the lastsection of the box blank (i. e., the fourth section of the illustrativeblank). This high block I! serves to maintain a space between box blanksuntil the wire has been stapled to the first section of the oncomingblank; the purpose being to provide the necessary length of tie wirebetween blanks whigi may be severed by the automatic cutter shown at 29in Figs. 3 and 4. The cutter may be operated by blocks 21 and 28 securedrespectively to conveyor chains l3 and I2 in the space between blanks.

The operation of the machine is thought to be clear from the descriptionheretofore given. The several sections of the blank are positioned onthe parallel conveyor chains with the V-shaped gaps between sections andare fed forward to the stapling point by spacer blocks or pusher blockscarried by the conveyors. After-the last staple has been driven in thenarrow end of the section, the pusher blocks are withdrawn from that endof the section while the pusher blocks at the other end of 'the sectioncontinue to move that end of the section. The binding wire on the endwhich has been released from engagement with the pusher blocks holdsthat end against further forward movement until the fan-shaped gap isclosed (except for the space occupied by the blocks ll and 20) whereuponthe spacer blocks I! and 20 push the wired section before them and outonto the receiving table 26. When the gap between sections (except forthe spacing provided by the spacer blocks) is closed, staples are driveninto the oncoming section, perpetuating the .foldable relationshipbetween the two sections. A completed blank in the form shown in Fig. 13emerges from the machine. When folded it produces the wirebound nestingcontainer shown in Fig. 16 with the wires tensioned over the corners.

Referring to Fig. 12, it will be noted that the wider end of eachsection of the blank receives more staples than the narrower end. Thisresults from the fact that certain of the staples driven by the staplerlocated above the narrow ends are driven while the fan-shaped openingslie beneath the stapler and therefore do not enter the narrow end of thesection. I

It will be understood that the invention is not to be limited to theparticular embodiment shown for purposes of illustration, as it may bevariously embodied without departing from the invention. It will also beunderstood that all of the features of the invention need not be usedconjointly, as they may be embodied in various combinations andsub-combinations as defined in the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for making wire bound box blanks comprising, incombination, stapling mechanism to apply binding wire to box sections;parallel guides for the box sections; means to position on said guides asuccession of box sections which are narrower at one end than at theother to provide fan-shaped openings between adjacent sections; means tofeed said sections so positioned to the stapling mechanism; and means torender ineffective the feeding means at the narrow end of a sectionafter the last staple has been driven into that end of the section topermit a succeeding section to close the space therebetween.

to apply binding wire to box sections;

- comprising,

2 A machine for making wirebound box blanks comprising, in combination,stapling mechanism to apply binding wire to box sections; parallelguides for the box sections; means to position on said guides asuccession of box sections which are narrower at one end than at theother to provide fan-shaped openings between adjacent sections; means tofeed said sections so positioned to the stapling mechanism; and meansto, arrest the movement of the narrow end of a section whilepermittingcontinued movement of the wide end of the section to close thespace between adjacent sections.

3. A machine for making wirebound box blanks comprising, in combination,stapling mechanism parallel guides for the box sections; means toposition a plurality of box sections in spaced relationship on saidguides; means to feed the sections to the stapling mechanism in thedirection |of said guides; and means to pivot a section about a point onone of said guides after the section has passed the stapling mechanismto vary the spacing between sections.

4. A machine for making wirebound box blanks in combination, staplingmechanism to apply binding wire to box sections; parallel guides for thebox sections; means to position a plurality of box sections in spacedrelationship on said guides; means to feed the sections to the staplingmechanism in the, direction of said guides; and means to pivot a sectionabout a point on one of said guides after the section has passed thestapling mechanism to vary the shape of the spaces between sections.

5. A machine for making wirebound box blanks comprising, in combination,stapling mechanism to apply binding wire to box sections; means toposition a plurality of boxsections with fanshaped spaces betweensections and to feed the sections in substantially a straight line tothe stapling mechanism; and means to pivot a section at an angle to thestraight line feed after it has passed the stapling mechanism to closethe fan-shaped space between that section and the next followingsection.

6. A machine for making wirebound box blanks comprising, in combination,stapling mechanism to apply binding wire to box sections; means toposition a plurality of box sections with fanshaped spaces betweensections and to feed the sections in substantially a straight line tothe stapling mechanism; and means to pivot a section at an angle to thestraight line feed after it has passed the stapling mechanism to varythe size of a fan-shaped opening.

7. A machine for making wirebound box blanks comprising, in combination,stapling mechanism to apply binding wire to box sections; parallelguides for the box sections; means operable adjacent each guide to feedthe box sections to the stapling mechanism; and means rendering one ofsaid feeding means ineffective at intervals to vary the relativeposition of adjacent sections.

8. The method of making a wirebound foldable box blank adapted to befoldedinto a nesting box which is characterized by assembling in thefiat a plurality of side sections each narrower at one end than at theother end and positioned in alignment laterally and with their ends inparallelism to provide fan-shaped openings between sections, feeding thesections so positioned in substantially a straight line to binding wireapplying mechanism, discontinuing the feed of the narrow end of asection after it has been wired while continuing the feed of the narrowend of the next succeeding section, whereby the fan-shaped openingbetween the sections closed prior to the attachment of the wire to thenarrow end of the succeeding section.

9. The method of making a wirebound foldabie container blank adapted tobe folded into a nesting shipping container which is characterized byassembling in the flat a plurality of side sections each narrower at oneend than at the other end with fan-shaped openings between sections,feeding the sections so positioned to stapling mechanism to applybinding wires to the successive sections, discontinuing the feed of thesection, whereby the fan-shaped openings between those sections will beclosed priorto the attachment of the wire to the narrow end of thesucceeding section.

GEORGE P. IGLEHEART.

